The Truth About Muggles
by Crowlows19
Summary: AU-Hermione OOC, no pairings, slight violence and drug use. Full summary inside. No relashionships!
1. Glitter's London

**Summary: **Harry Potter's been missing for seven years but he's been found. However, this story isn't about him. This is about the people sent to find him. Watch as an unlikly group of people discover the truth abouth the past and the present. Watch as they learn what it means to be Muggle, the beauty and the horror. Watch as enemies are made, amends happen, and the search for a missing hero becomes the ultimate life lesson.

**Discalimer: **I do not own Harry Potter

* * *

It had been both a miracle and a complete pain that the boy had been found. He'd disappeared from his Aunt and Uncle's home when he was eight and seven year later, they'd found him. Severus didn't know how and, in all honesty, he didn't care.

When the Headmaster had all but danced into his private Potions Labs, Severus had instinctually known it had something to do with the Potter Brat. The twinkle in the old man's eyes, as well as the subsequent conversation, only confirmed his suspicions. Severus had long expected for the boy to be found, what with almost every witch and wizard looking for him, but what he hadn't expected was Albus convincing him to be apart of the party that would go and collect the boy from some rundown apartment building in the heart of London. The old man's reasoning had been since Snape had spent an incredible amount of his life in Muggledom, he would be the best person to guide the group of wizards. He cursed the man for being right.

While Albus himself had to go to the Ministry and inform the Minister on the current Potter situation, McGonagall had gone. Also, to Severus's utter dismay, Remus Lupin and the newly acquitted Sirius Black were in attendance. The two Weasley parents and the two youngest of their brood were also asked to go, although Severus couldn't for the life of him figure out why. Minerva had explained that the teens were there in order to better relate with Potter.

Severus strongly believed that this point that the only one who could relate to Potter, on any level, was Satan. Upon entering the boy's rat infested excuse for a home, Severus had easily recognized several types of Muggle drugs and alcohol. He knew instantly that this wasn't going to be easy.

The carbon-copy of James had demanded they leave and never return, even after being told and shown that magic was indeed real.

"But Harry you have to go Hogwarts. You're an extremely powerful wizard," Molly Weasley had tried to coax him with the most motherly tone she could manage.

"No! I'm not about to leave so I can chase fucking fairytales!" he'd shouted at her before promptly taking off. They'd been following him from place to place for over three hours, only to lose him completely, and Severus was in a very foul mood which was saying something.

"He has to go; it's not safe out here," Molly said to the group at large. They'd stopped outside a small corner store in order to use the restrooms and were currently trying to decide the best way to approach the boy again. Severus felt a good smack upside the head was in order but considering his present company, he kept the thought to himself.

"He's not going anywhere he doesn't want to," Severus said with a bored expression on hi face. All he got in response were several confused expressions. "The brat doesn't like change," he tried to clarify.

"What makes you say that?" Lupin asked.

"His reaction to what he was told and shown. He doesn't want to leave here because it's comfortable to him," Severus replied.

"How do you know that?" Arthur asked, thoroughly curious.

"It's obvious," Severus replied through his teeth, staring at his boots. Of them all, he was the only one who looked decently normal with black motorcycle boots, black jeans, a plain grey t-shirt, and a leather jacket. His long hair was tied back making it seem less greasy. Severus had sneered at Black's gaping look when he'd first seen his clothes, which were so obviously Muggle. The Weasley children had both had very similar reactions.

The other wizards were all wearing very mismatched clothing, looking like they'd dressed in the dark. The Potions Master had to suppress a snort of laughter every time he looked at one of them.

Black rolled his eyes at Severus's last comment and opened his mouth to say something when a gasp from the Weasley girl made them all freeze. They followed her wide eyed, slightly horrified, stare to a group of kids standing about 10 meters away from them.

At first Snape had absolutely no idea what had caused such a scandalized look on the Weasley girl's face. Then he saw her; she was dressed in tight Muggle jeans that barely covered her hips with a tube top that left her stomach (and belly ring) exposed. Her make-up was dark and her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail. As they watched she stamped out her cigarette with the heel of her black and purple skater shoe. It was at this point that McGonagall found her voice.

"Miss Granger?" she gasped, just loud enough for the girl to hear. The normally bush haired bookworm looked at them, a sudden horrid realization crossing her face.

"Shit," the girl said under her breath before walking over to them, completely ignoring the fact that the kids she was with were leaving. "What the hell are you people doing here?" she practically snarled. Severus noted that Ron's ears went a tinge pink with anger. _Trouble in Gryffindor paradise,_ Severus thought.

Of course it was no secret that Ronald Weasley was one of Granger's least favorite people. Well, her's and the other two gossip queens, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil.

"Us?" the Weasley boy asked indignantly. "What about you?" Granger looked at him like he was the stupidest person on the planet, which Severus could easily agree to.

"I live here. Muggleborn remember?" she replied sarcastically.

"What are you wearing?" the Weasley girl asked, her voice tinged with disapproval.

"I could ask you the same thing," Granger replied vehemently. "I know your poor, but I'm sure even you could afford to dress in the light." Severus was impressed by how much the girl sounded like Draco Malofy; but then, he'd probably said something similar at one point or another.

"Miss Granger!" McGonagall exclaimed, looking horrified. "That is no way to speak to your house mates!"

"This isn't school. I can say whatever I want." Minerva opened her mouth to argue that point when Severus held up a hand to silence her.

"Save it," he said. "You're only going to lose that argument." Granger was surprised to hear the Potions Master interfere but still managed to cross her arms in satisfaction. Minerva, on the other hand, sent Severus a perturbed look which he easily ignored.

"Granger," he said and the girl turned towards him with her eyebrows raised, a sign that she was listening. "Have you ever heard of Harry Potter?"

"Of course, who hasn't?" she replied, wondering where this could possibly go.

"Yes, well, he's been found," Severus said.

"Shit!" the girl exclaimed, completely thrown by the surprise announcement. It had long been a favorite conversation point of the students to try and guess that fate and/or location of the Brat-Who-Lived. "Are you kidding?" The potions Master shook his head calmly, no, he did _not_ kid. "Why tell me?" the girl asked.

"Yeah, why tell _her _anything?" Ron Weasley butted in. The glare from the Potions Master quickly silenced him. Everyone else was either too shocked or too confused to jump into this conversation.

"I am telling you," Severus said, once again turning back to his smartest pupil. "Because it has been a long time since I have been to this city. I no longer know where the runaways hide."

"And you think I do?" Granger replied. "I'm not a runaway Professor."

"Surely you have some idea of where they might congregate," Severus pushed. The sooner this was over the better.

"Well," Granger said, looking highly nervous. Severus simply waited for her to continue. He knew she'd answer eventually; she was incapable of not answering any Professor. "There is one place but it's only supposed to be an urban legend. I would check the normal places first. You know abandoned buildings, soup kitchens, and the shelters."

Not entirely the answer he'd been looking for, but what had he expected? The girl had said she wasn't a runaway; she would have no idea where those kids hid. There was also the fact she was gone nine months of the year and wouldn't know what had happened in the streets of London in her absence.

"So that's it?" Black finally spoke up. Severus was wondering when he'd crack. "Sorry, no can do? Thanks for the huge help kid."

"Sirius," Lupin scolded. "This is hardly Miss Granger's fault." The girl in question just rolled her eyes at the pair.

"Look," she said, instantly gaining all ears. "I can't take you to him directly but I know someone who might know where the runaways go. If Potter is a runaway, he might be there."

"What do mean _if_ Potter is a runaway?" McGonagall asked. "He ran away from his relatives' home; of course he's a runaway."

"But if he's found another family he wouldn't be," Granger replied.

"There was no family living in that apartment," Black told her.

"Who's to say he lives there? A lot of kids go to Creeps in abandoned buildings," she said with a shrug.

"What's a Creep?" Remus asked, completely bemused by the girl's terminology. Granger looked thoughtful, as if trying to figure out what and how much to say. Severus couldn't blame her; he'd done his fair share of Creeps with Lily when they'd been friends. That was before everything split apart and before James Potter. The girl looked at him as if asking for guidance on breeching this subject. He simply looked away. It wasn't his problem; she'd been foolish enough to bring it up.

"Um, it's a kind of party," she said. The others still looked confused but seemed to let it go for now.

"So, who's this person who would know where the boy is?" Severus asked, successfully steering them away from the subject of Creeps.

"An old buddy of mine," Granger replied. It appeared as if that was all she was going to supply.

"And that would be?" Arthur asked, finally jumping into the conversation. Apparently he'd only just now gotten past the girl's attire and the insult to his family; his ears were still a tinge red though.

"His name's Glitter," she said. The Weasley boy gave a sarcastic laugh gaining Granger's full attention and anger instantly.

"What kind of name is that?" he asked with what Severus assumed was supposed to be a sneer.

"It's a nickname, Weasley!" she spat. "Runaways don't use real names. It helps keep the fuzz away."

"Granger," Severus said, noting the extremely confused looks all around. "They don't know what the fuzz is."

"That's their problem," she retorted, gaining a raised eyebrow from the Potions Master.

"Just take us to him please," Remus intervened quickly hoping to quell whatever argument that would eventually erupt.

"You're not going anywhere," Granger said with an amused tone.

"What do you mean?" Black asked.

"Oh what does it matter? She's only going to have us running in circles," the Weasley boy practically shouted while his sister attempted to hush him. Granger narrowed her eyes in anger.

"You don't want my help Weasley? Fine!" The girl turned to leave. "I have better things to do."

"No! Wait!" Black's voice sounded desperate; more desperate than Severus had ever heard it. "Please, help us find Harry." Granger turned back around to look at Black more fully. She stared at him head on and back at her, unwavering.

"What is he to you?" she asked suddenly.

"Excuse me?' Black asked confused.

"You heard me. What is he to you?" When Black didn't answer Lupin did.

"Sirius is Harry's godfather."

"I'm aware; I can read." Granger had completely lost the group of wizards but Severus had a vague idea of where this was going. "What. Is. He. To you?" she asked again, slowly.

Black eventually found his tongue. "Everything."

"Wait here," was Granger's reply before she turned and entered the phone booth halfway down the block.

* * *

Hermione Granger was freaking out; what was she doing? She had no intention of leading these people on a wild goose chase all over London in an attempt to find a runaway teen hero. What was she? Batman? Yet she was still in the phone booth, dialing a number she probably shouldn't be and all for some kid she'd never even met.

Sure Harry James Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, was extremely famous in Magicdom but what did that mean to her? Not much. Hermione couldn't stand most of the Wizarding world with its wanna-be Hitler Dark Lord, its ridiculous fear of a fucking name, and its prejudices against the world she'd grown up in. Maybe Potter was better off where he was. London wasn't so bad; she'd always loved it here.

"Hello?" the voice sounded the same as ever; tired, stressed, and unnaturally happy. Hermione had never understood how such conflicting emotions could be present in one person at the same time, all the time.

"Hey Glitter, it's Hermione," she said feeling unsure of herself.

"Moine! What's up stranger?" Glitter sounded happy to her from her but she knew better.

"Um, nothing much. Look, I'm actually calling to get some information."

"What kind of information?" he asked, his voice was serious sounding. After all this was no longer a social call, this was business.

"I need to know where to find a runaway," she said rather quickly.

"Um, why?"

"I'm looking for someone."

"Who?"

"Noneya," she snapped, turning slightly to eye the group of people behind her. They looked fairly tense and uncomfortable. All except for Snape. Hermione distinctly remembered him saying he hadn't been here in awhile. He also said he wouldn't know where the runaways were _anymore_. Had he known once? Had he been one?

"Okay, Okay! Yeah, I know where most of them go," Glitter's voice said, cutting into her thoughts.

"Where?"

"Yeah right. What's in it for me?"

"Gold," she said seriously and was answered by a short, shocked silence.

"Real gold?"

"Of course. You know I don't do fake." Hermione could almost hear his smirk after she said that.

"How much?"

"Five coins, rare, one of a kind," she said.

"You must want to find this runaway pretty badly," he commented.

"Yeah."

"Why?'

"He means everything," she said.

"To who?"

"To someone and, no, it isn't to me," she said.

"Ah, so you're doing a favor for someone. A big favor by the sound of it."

"Would you stop stalling!" she snapped at him.

"Fine, it's a deal. You know where to go." He didn't say good-bye but she hadn't expected him to.

She exited the booth and strode back to the group exuding confidence but still freaking on the inside.

"Well?" Lupin asked.

"He says he knows where they go but we have to pay," she said.

"Pay?" Ginny asked. It had been about the only thing she'd spoken and she sounded shocked.

'Yes, pay," Hermione told her. "Why so shocked?"

"Didn't you tell him that it was important?" she asked.

"Yeah so?

"He still demanded pay? To find a missing kid?"

"Of course. Information ain't free," Hermione snapped, completely over the girl's naïve attitude.

"How much?" Snape asked reaching into his back pocket to pull out his wallet.

"Five galleons," Hermione said wondering why Black wasn't paying as he dropped the coins into her hand. Looking around she could see she wasn't the only one. Everyone was staring at Snape with open shock.

"Where do we meet him?"

"The tube station near Gaillis," she replied and the two headed off in that direction. The remainder of the group followed, confused about the happenings of Muggledom.

* * *

The ride to the Gaillis station was awkward at best. Severus and Granger were at complete ease on the Underground but the others were different. Arthur had practically squealed at the sight of a train, gaining several strange looks in the process. Granger rolled her eyes at the man and distanced herself from the group as a whole. The rest were plain uncomfortable and clearly nervous; none of them had ever been on the tube.

When they reached the station they all followed Granger up to the street and over to a boy sitting on a bench, talking into a mobile. When they reached him he held up a finger to give him a minute. Severus took the moment to take in the boy in front of him.

He was wearing blue jeans with different quotes written on them in different colored Sharpies, multicolored shoes, and a plain white t-shirt. His fair hair was shaggy with blue streaks and he had a lip ring. When the boy laughed Severus also caught sight of a tongue ring. By the sniffs of disapproval, he guessed that both Minerva and Molly had seen them too.

"Okay, bye," the boy finally said standing up so he was in front of Granger. "Hey, Moine."

"Hey Glitter," came her stiff reply.

"You got the gold?" he asked, then winced when he realized how much he sounded like a clichéd pirate.

"Yeah right here," Granger said taking it out of her pocket and handing it to him. He took one and bit it to make sure that it was indeed gold before slipping it into the pocket of his jeans. When his hand came back out he was holding a slip of paper, which he handed to Granger.

"Thanks," she said without looking at it.

"You're just going to trust him, just like that?' the Weasley boy asked hotly. Clearly Granger could do no right in the eyes of the Weasley clan.

"Shut up Weasley!" Granger hissed, her eyes going wide. Severus looked at the Muggle boy in time to see his eyes narrow.

"She knows me," Glitter told the red head coldly. "My information is always solid."

"We don't know you," Molly pointed out.

"That's cause your nobody," the boy snapped at her. "Please tell me these aren't the people," he said to Granger, who shook her head.

"No, he is," she said pointing to Black. "It's his godson." The boy looked Black up and down taking in his strange clothes but seemed satisfied with the mutt overall.

"Okay. Look, Moine, I'm not gonna lie to you, this place is tough. You're likely to leave empty handed, if at all."

"Thanks for the warning, Glitter, but we can handle it," she told him. "Are you sure this is the right place?' The boy faked a hurt look.

"Of course. Don't forget, this is my London," he said before turning and going into the tube station. Granger looked at the address and smiled.

"What?" Black asked.

"I know this place," she said turning back to them.

"You do?"

"Yes, I was just about to head over there before I saw you guys," she informed them.

"So we paid that kid for nothing," Weasley asked.

"You didn't pay for anything," Severus reminded him harshly.

"Yeah, why did you pay," Black asked a little cautiously.

"No reason," Severus told him although there was of course a reason. The brat may be a Potter but he was also a piece of Lily and he didn't want _her_ child out on the streets of London. "So why were going over there Granger?' he asked, bluntly moving the conversion away from his reasons behind the payment.

"Um, there's a Creep there tonight. It's supposed to be the biggest one of the year."

Severus heard himself groan unwillingly. Perfect, just perfect. So much for getting this over with quickly.

* * *


	2. The Creep

Hey everyone! Finally got Chapter two written. It was surprisingly hard. Anyways hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. **

* * *

If Hermione wasn't a Gryffindor she probably would have admitted that she wasn't just scared about what she was going to attempt, she was terrified. However, she did belong to the noble house of people who do rash, if not stupid, things and call it bravery, so she didn't admit it, even to herself. Hermione was scared for one simple reason: she was breaking every common sense law ever thought of.

Going to a Creep was one thing; going to a Creep thrown by hardened runaways while trying to subtly get information about one of their own was quite another. It didn't help that they were probably in the worst part of London.

At least the rest of the group was no longer with her. In fact they'd split up. McGonagall had left for Hogwarts to fill the Headmaster in on the day's events; Lupin had split as tomorrow was the full moon; the Weasley parents had just up and left. The two red-headed teens had been left behind after some convincing that they were still needed. This only left Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Black, and Snape. It was awkward to say the least.

Hermione snapped herself out of the trance she'd fallen into and crossed the street to the abandoned warehouse housing the Creep. She paid her twenty quid at the door and entered. It was everything it was supposed to be with the impossibly loud techno song, the dark smoke filled room lit only by several party lights, and the gyrating teenagers on the dance floor.

Hermione paused not really knowing what to do or where to start. Snape had warned her to be very careful and be as discreet as possible. She could do discreet but with these kids it was impossible to know the outcome beforehand. They were just plain unpredictable. She had somewhat of a workable plan but she doubted it would go over all that well.

Hermione looked around feeling distinctly uneasy. This was exactly what her parole officer had warned her about. Going to illegal functions with shady people she didn't know and putting her in the unnecessary danger of getting shot. She couldn't help it though; Hermione loved the thrill, the danger of being at a Creep. That was why they were so popular. They put a fun twist on the darker side of life.

Suddenly Hermione saw a flash of green hair, very familiar green hair, and followed it. She'd been wondering if she'd run into her friends here and had just spotted Tommy. Hermione had known Tommy since the summer before her second year. He was nice, fun to hand around, and knew about as many people as Glitter did. The only difference was that Tommy didn't know how to manipulate a connection.

"Tommy!" Hermione shouted above the incessant bass and the boy whirled around. His glare instantly faded on seeing her.

"Where have you been?" Tommy asked her after breaking away from their quick hug.

"Sorry, I saw some people I knew and had to help them take care of something," she replied.

"The people with the funny clothes?" he asked and she nodded with a laugh. "What did they need?" Hermione hesitated in answering him not entirely sure how much she should say. This was a delicate situation at best. Snape had filled her in on what had happened when Potter had been told about the Wizarding World. She didn't need him to tell her that if word got to the boy they were still looking and possibly closing in on him he would disappear again, this time possibly for good. However, Tommy knew people and he knew the runaways having been one himself a few years ago before being picked up by the cops and thrown back into the system. Also, he wouldn't charge her like Glitter did.

"Tommy," she said an obvious amount of discomfort in her voice. Tommy caught on and listened closely. "Do you know if Jack and Jill are here?" She watched as Tommy's eyes hardened and his face went blank.

"Why?" he eventually ground out.

"I need to speak to them," she said not quite able to meet his eyes.

"Are you insane?" he replied leaning closer to her. "You can't just talk to Jack and Jill! Hermione, are you trying to die?"

"I know what I'm doing," she said defiantly.

"No, you don't," he said then took her arm to drag her over to a corner for some privacy. "Those two are dangerous."

"I'll be fine," Hermione said not even being able to convince herself of those words. Tommy stared at her like she'd grown two heads but didn't comment.

"What could you possibly have to say to them?" he asked.

"I need help finding someone," she said. At his confused look she continued. "He's a runaway." Tommy's eyes practically popped out of his head.

"You want to ask them about one of their own?!"

"Tommy, it's extremely important that I find him," she tried to explain.

"Why?"

"I can't tell you," she said quietly. She couldn't look him in the eye but she could feel his probing gaze.

"Hermione, this is insane," he said. When she didn't reply or look up he heaved a sigh. "I won't stop you but I'm not going to help you kill yourself. If you want to talk to them, find your own way." She looked up to see him walking away back to the dance floor. He disappeared into the crowd and Hermione suddenly felt exposed.

He was right; Jack and Jill were extremely dangerous. Hermione had never met them, had never even seen them, and if it wasn't for Potter she wouldn't even be considering it now. Not for the first time Hermione wondered why she was doing this. Why was she so willing to lay down her life for a boy she had never even met?

* * *

Three hours later Hermione had made very little progress. She'd partied a little trying to appear normal. She'd managed to speak to several people about Potter, some who were runaways and some who weren't. She used the same story every time; they were old friends and were supposed to meet up here, had anyone seen him? No one had and no one knew the name Harry Potter. But she hadn't really expected them to; every runaway took a nickname and eventually it became the only one you had.

Hermione was on her fifteenth person, a runaway named Gopher she'd bought some acid from to get the conversation rolling. "We were supposed to meet here, do you know him?" she asked and he shook his head.

"No, a lot of kids come through here. If they only party I don't get to know them," he told her. She was about to say thanks for the drugs when the music was abruptly cut off pitching the warehouse into a sudden stillness until the groans and protests started. "Cops! Everyone take off!" came a shout from one of the lookouts. There was an instant stampede for the few doors in the place and Hermione was swept up in the crowd.

When she managed to get out she heard the distinct sound of the wailing sirens of at least twenty cop cars bearing down on them. She paused in her running wondering exactly where she should go and trying to determine which direction the cops were coming from.

That was when her instincts blared a warning. Hermione had always had good instincts that had only been sharpened by her many dangerous exploits. She turned looking for the source of the sudden danger she felt and saw a group of runaways standing not to far from her. One of them caught sight of her and narrowed his eyes before turning to speak to a blond haired kid. Hermione didn't stick around to see what the other kid did.

She was already running across the street towards an alleyway she knew wasn't a dead end, only blocked by a chain link fence in the middle. She ran as fast as she could and was halfway up the fence when she felt someone grab the back of her jeans and yank her back down. Hermione ended up on the ground and only had time to register the fact that she was surrounded when they started kicking and punching her.

Hermione had never been in this position before and for the first time in a long time she feared for her life. She did her best to protect herself with her hands but it did little good. At one point she managed to a land a kick on someone's shin but at that point it was weak and only earned her a dark laugh.

The beating continued for several minutes, though it felt like hours to Hermione, when finally someone interfered. "Hey! What the fuck are you doing?" the runaways stopped almost instantly and backed away. Hermione lifted her head just enough to see Glitter coming towards them eyes ablaze. "What the hell Jack?" he said angrily to the blond boy Hermione had seen before taking off. "What are you doing?"

"Friend of yours Glitter?" he asked his tone relaxed.

"Yes, she is," Glitter replied. If Hermione had been able to she would have groaned but she was in far too much pain to even consider it. What was Glitter doing? She had obviously pissed off the runaways and now he was purposefully telling them that they were friends.

"You should pick better friends," the other boy, Jack, said mockingly.

"Why? What'd she do?"

"Asking around," was the simple reply. Glitter didn't respond. "When she's coherent tell her that she better stop poking her nose in our business. If I ever catch her doing it again they'll be searching for her at the bottom of the river." With that Hermione heard them leave and Glitter crouched next to her.

"What did you do?' he asked.

"Just asked around," she mumbled starting to shake.

"Shit, c'mon, I gotta get you outa here," he said praying the girl didn't go into shock.

* * *

When Hermione woke up the next morning she felt like she'd been run over by a semi. She vaguely remembered Glitter taking her back to his flat and steering her away from shock, patching her up the best he could and calming her down. She had eventually passed out and he had put her in his bed.

Not wanting to really be there and knowing she had to get back to the group of Wizards before Snape got too pissed, she rolled off the mattress holding in a grunt of pain. Hermione was pleased to note that she could stand, albeit shakily. The brunt of the beating had aimed at her torso with a few bruises on her arms where she'd tried to protect herself. She felt a few bruises on her face.

The runaways hadn't broken any bones but Hermione had the feeling they hadn't been trying to inflict any real damage anyway. She felt they were just trying to give her a very painful warning. She considered her self officially warned.

Stumbling out of the bedroom she made her way down the corridor of the small flat following the sounds of a television. She collapsed on the couch next to Glitter who didn't even look away from the screen.

"How do afford this place?" she asked.

"Information sells really well," he replied. Glitter had several fake ids so he could own the place but the last time Hermione had seen him he'd been living under a bridge in a box. Apparently information was only selling well recently. Glitter suddenly turned off the TV and Hermione felt a lecture coming on. "Moine," he started.

"Don't even start," she interrupted.

"Fine, but you should know that you're now on Jack and Jill's shit list. They aren't just going to let this go.

"All I did was ask about some kid."

"No, you were asking about one of their own. Obviously you asked about the wrong person."

"So they don't do this all the time?" Hermione asked referring to the beating they'd given her.

"They're runaways. They get the occasional parent or sibling looking for someone."

"So they don't want this kid to be found?" Hermione ventured.

"Clearly," was Glitter's short reply. They remained silent for several minutes not looking at each other. Glitter was the one to break the silence. "Who were you asking about?" Hermione shook her head not wanting to tell him, not wanting to even think the name.

"No one important," she finally said. "I don't even know him."

"Then go through all that shit?" Glitter asked. He didn't sound mad, just curious.

"I honestly have no idea," she replied.

"Was it those people you were with yesterday?" he asked.

"No, I can't stand any of them," she said. They fell silent again only this time Glitter turned the TV back on. Hermione just sat there thinking.

She'd finally figured out why she was here, why she was risking her life to find a boy she'd never even met. Magicdom had always meant very little to her as a whole. She'd always felt like Magicdom was her one true home. She'd been putting up with Muggleborn prejudice for years from both the Slytherins and the Weasleys.

The Snakes and Death Eaters felt like people like her were beneath them, second class citizens as it were. The Weasley clan, Arthur in particular, acted like the Muggles were the most defenseless things on the planet. Something to be protected and coddled.

Hermione knew for a fact that there were a great many Muggles who needed very little, if any, protection form Dumbledore and his people. Hell, one of them was sitting right next to her. Another had ordered his runaways to beat her up. Either of them could certainly hold their own in a fight with a Death Eater. Voldemort himself was far to powerful and would take a little more than a pissed off teen with a gun to be put down. But in the time it took for one of his minions to get halfway through a curse Glitter could put three bullets in their skull.

No, the Muggles she knew needed no protecting. So why go through this? It was for the Muggleborns. Her people who were judged in Magicdom and ostracized in Muggledom. Hermione remembered the first time she'd been called Mudblood by Draco Malfoy. No one had said anything, no one had defended her, not even her fellow Lions. The Slytherin had just walked away, a smirk on his face.

Hermione's heart had hardened that day. She no longer had any patience for the people of Hogwarts. Other Muggleborns had become her friends finding themselves in the same position as she had. Dean, Lavender, Colin, Dennis. Parvati who was a half blood had joined their group as well.

Hermione also remembered the day she'd received her Hogwarts letter. She remembered the looks on her parents' faces and how long it had taken them to stop looking at her as if she was suddenly no longer their daughter but a complete stranger. They still didn't treat her like they had before the damn letter had shown up. It didn't matter how hard she worked to prove herself worthy, neither world wanted her. So eventually Hermione had turned to the streets, to Glitter, and to Creeps.

That was why she was doing this. Potter would be coming from the same place she was; the same place all Muggleborns came from. Maybe he could be the hero everyone had always said he was even without knowing who he was and what he'd become. Maybe he could finally do what no one, not even the great Albus Dumbledore, could do. Maybe, just maybe, he could help.

* * *

Well there it is! Hope you liked! Please review!

Next Chapter: The group visits the Dusley's.


	3. Welcome to Reality

Hey guys! Long time no write! Sry about that. School almost kicked my ass but now that's it summer I will be writing more so expect more updates. I plan to finish this story by Spetember at the latest. Hope you enjoy the chapter. Let me know what you think.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

* * *

It was late afternoon by the time Hermione made it back to the motel where the group of wizards was staying at. She had refused to go home in order to avoid her parents so she had borrowed some of Glitter's clothes. She was wearing his baggy jeans and a tight tank top some girl had left there once. It was too small and left a good deal of her stomach exposed. After a long shower she'd thrown out her dirty and torn clothes from the night before, ate, and left for the tube station making her way back across town.

When she walked in the door of one of their rooms she was immediately subjected to the Weasley glares. She wasn't entirely sure if they were meant to scare her or just convey the redheads' anger. She guessed the former.

"Stop it," she growled. "I've seen worse glares and you don't scare me."

"Where have you been?" Ginny asked sounding thoroughly annoyed.

"Got held up," she replied.

"With what?" Snape asked lowly as he came through the connector door to the room next door. Black followed. Hermione went to the bathroom counter, unwrapped the plastic cup, and filled it with water.

"The Creep," she replied simply. Snape moved towards the couch and picked up the book resting on the arm. He seemed to let it go instantly but Hermione had, had a feeling he would. Snape knew what Creeps were and what went on. No explanation was needed for him. Unfortunately, that wasn't true for everyone else.

"What happened?" Ginny asked.

"Nothing much," Hermione replied. "It was busted up by the bobbies." She once again received extremely confused looks at her words. At first she didn't get why they were looking at her like she'd said something really strange, then she remembered. Purebloods wouldn't know anything about the Muggle world. For her, it was natural to slip back into the ways of Muggledom and then Magicdom. She belonged to neither world fully so she could slip between them more easily. The others in the room could not. They were like fish out of water in Muggledom. It would have been funny if it hadn't been so completely pathetic. "Cops," she said to clarify but they still looked confused.

"It's the Muggle version of the MLE," Snape said from his place on the couch his rather large nose still in his book. However, the other three seemed to finally _get_ it.

"Were you doing anything illegal?" Black asked with a small smile that kept Hermione guessing at whether he would lecture her or laugh with her. In the end she decided she didn't care.

"Yes, I was," she said.

"What?" Ginny asked seeming a bit apprehensive.

"I was at an illegal party with runaways selling orange ladies, boozing it up, and possibly starting a gang war," she said. She slammed the plastic cup back on to the counter and moved towards Black till they were barely a foot apart and gave him an intense glare. "You'd better be fucking thankful I'm doing this. Because of you and your godson I'm on Jack and Jill's hit list."

"Jack and Jill?" Snape said finally turning his head back towards the group.

"Leaders of the runaways," Hermione said. "They're tough and they rule the street kids on that side of town. I asked a couple of questions and the next thing I know they're out for my blood. They know something."

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked and Hermione noted the tinge of fear in her voice. Black and Ron were too confused and shocked to say anything. Snape was more content to watch at this point.

"I'm talking about dangerous people," Hermione snapped at her. "You asked me to help you find some lost little hero no one really knows. This kid has lived the life of a runaway and by the reaction I got last night he climbed the ranks pretty fast. I have no interest in getting caught in the middle of a gang war and I will not force the gangs into a war because Dumbledore lost his weapon!" By that time Hermione was screaming effectively silencing everyone else though she did catch the flash of annoyance in Snape's eyes at the slam to the Headmaster. "I almost got killed last night."

Ginny gasped, Ron's mouth dropped, and Black looked at Snape as if for help. Snape just looked at her with a blank stare.

"How?" Ginny finally squeaked out.

"Asked the wrong person the wrong thing," she said. "If Glitter hadn't shown I'd probably be at the bottom of the river."

"But they're just kids," Ron said disbelievingly. "How can they do that?"

"Some of us didn't have the luxury of having a childhood," Hermione told him. "Even if you do find Potter, I doubt he'll be the hero everyone expects him to be."

"That's okay," Black said.

"Is it?" Hermione responded.

"We just want him safe," Black replied. When Hermione couldn't find the strength to answer him, Snape did.

"He won't be your godson," he said and Black turned towards him angrily. Snape cut him off. "He has lived on the streets of London for seven years doing Merlin knows what and seeing things you wouldn't have been able to stomach at that age. Living that kind of life changes a person. What makes you think he'll care about who you are? Or who he is? What happened in the magical world has never been explained to him. If you could even get him to sit down with you long enough to hear it, I doubt he will understand or care."

"What makes you say that?" Black asked the wind suddenly disappearing from his sails.

"This is Muggledom, Mr. Black," Hermione responded. "The rules are different. There is no Dark Lord and there is no Dumbledore. If Potter is in the position we think he's in, there is very little, if any hope."

"But when we find him we can just take him back home," Ginny said. "He can get out of the dangers you keep talking about."

"_If_ we find him, Miss Weasley," Snape said.

"Why wouldn't we be able to find him?" Black asked. Hermione glanced at Snape quickly before answering the man in front of her.

"Mr. Black," she began and he turned back towards her. "You know entirely too little of the Muggle world to be of any help in this search. It will be a miracle if Potter even knows about Magic."

"Harry lived with his Aunt before he ran away," Black said. "She knew about Magic because of her sister."

"How do you know she told him about it?" Hermione asked. "People fear what they don't understand. It's why the Purebloods hate the Muggles and the Muggles tell horror stories about Magic. I need you to understand that this search is likely to end badly. The people Potter appears to be mixed up with will not be easy to get around. It's possible we will not live through this."

"Oh, please," Ron scoffed. Hermione couldn't muster the energy to glare so she shut her eyes and prayed for patience. "Like they could hurt us."

"Do not be arrogant, boy," Snape snapped and Ron gave a jump as Hermione opened her eyes. "They are stronger than the Magical world would wish to believe."

"Is it really that bad?" Black asked quietly. Hermione gave a small nod.

"Yes, it is," she replied. "Welcome to reality."

Hermione watched television until they were ready to leave for the Dursley's home in Surry. Ron, Ginny, and Black all watched with her but while she was getting increasingly bored they were enraptured. Hermione eventually switched from some dorky kids show to a movie, which in retrospect wasn't the best choice. Harold and Kumar go to White Castle not only greatly confused them but disgusted them. She laughed incredibly hard but then, she understood what was going on.

"That's repulsive," Ginny exclaimed for the nth time. Hermione finally just shut off the TV and picked up the phone on the table beside her. After a conversation with Glitter about the possibility of being hunted down by Jack and Jill, Snape finally announced that it was time to go.

Hermione made no move to stand up.  
"I'm not going," she said. Both Ron and Ginny gaped at her, Black peered at her, and Snape just nodded.

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"Not a good idea," she said.

"Why?" Black asked looking confused.

"It's just not!" Hermione snapped. The three looked at each other but shrugged it off. Five minutes later they left. Hermione waited until she was sure they were in Surry via Portkey before she too left the room.

* * *

Number 4 Private Drive looked like every other house on the street. Perfect and boring, with the fancy gardens and nice cars. Severus detested it entirely. It reminded him of the rich people who lived in Muggle London with their noses in the air and noises of disapproval for the runaways.

True, he hadn't been a 'runaway', that would imply that he had left something. Still, Lily had been a runaway even if it was just for that one summer. Suddenly reminded as to why they were there, Severus tore his eyes away to look at the other three with him. He had thought that bringing the two Weasley children would be an incredibly bad idea, but Dumbledore had overridden him. That was highly annoying.

"Let's get this over with," he said, and walked briskly up the stairs of the porch to the front door the others right behind him. He rang the doorbell with perhaps more force than necessary.

The door opened several moments later by a rather horse faced and skinny woman. Petunia, Lily's sister. The woman gave one glance at Severus, recognized him, screamed, and tried to slam the door in his face. He stopped it with his foot and forced it back open with one arm while his other attempted to grab the rapidly retreating woman by the wrist. He followed her to the kitchen and was greeted by her wielding a knife at him.

He dodged the blade completely forgetting he was in fact a wizard with a wand in his back jean pocket. He heard Black and the Weasleys coming after them. They made it to the doorway just in time to see him grab her wrist and twist her arm in a half nelson pinning her to the counter.

"Are you alone?" he asked. He hadn't seen the car in the drive way and no one had come running at her scream.

"Yes," she said bitterly and surprisingly without fear.

"Snape," Black started. Probably wanted to convince him not to hurt the woman.

"Shut it," he threw over his shoulder then turned back to Petunia. "What did you do with the boy?" he asked.

"What boy?"

"You know," he hissed. "Lily's boy. Where is he?"

"How should I know?" she snapped. "He disappeared years ago."

"And you didn't think to report it," he said voice going colder than any of the people present had ever heard it. The two Weasley children had shivers going down their spines and Sirius was wondering if he would have to prevent Snape from becoming a murderer. Petunia didn't even flinch.

"Thought you freaks would at least look after your own," she said, trying to push him off ignoring the pain in her arm.

"He's your blood," he said.

"Don't remind me," she snapped.

"When did he disappear?" Snape asked trying to stay on task. Hopefully, Black would be able to refrain himself from interfering if the conversation about the Potters got nasty.

"Years ago," she said.

"Did he run off or did you leave him somewhere?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because I'm the one with the wand," he said and felt her tense. "Don't think I won't use it." She paused, probably considering her options, which weren't many.

"Professor," the Weasley girl started only to have a hand clamped over her mouth. She turned to see none other than Hermione. Severus turned his head to see her standing there with a new bruise sitting on her cheek. The girl just could not stay out of trouble.

"Let him work," she said into the redhead's ear removing her head to come into the kitchen. The other three were still at the door.

"Thought you weren't coming," Black said deciding to take a seat at the table.

"Changed my mind," she said opening the fridge door and helped herself to a beer. Severus pushed down his instinct to scold her for under aged drinking and take points from Gryffindor. If Minerva could see her little know-it all now. He ignored the others and turned back to the woman he was holding captive as Granger left the kitchen. He didn't know where she thought she was going.

"Talk," he growled.

"Vernon drove him to London," she said quietly. "He didn't say why and when he came back the boy wasn't with him."

"He just left him there?" Black almost shouted, horrified.

"There's a church there that you can leave them at with no questions asked," she said. "That's probably where he took the little shit."

"What church?" Severus asked cutting across whatever reaction Black was sure to have. This was not the time for temper tantrums.

"St. Dominic's," she said instantly and Severus let her go. Granger came back that moment humming something to her self and threw out her now empty bottle in the trash can under the sink.

"Find anything?" Severus asked.

"He wasn't loved," she stated. "Slept in the cupboard under the stairs. Says Harry's Room on the wall in crayon." Black gave noise that sounded like a badly suppressed whimper but the two ignored him.

"I'd wash that off before they come," Severus said to Petunia who narrowed her eyes.

"Before who comes?" she asked.

"Child Services," he replied leaving the kitchen, the rest following. That is, all except Granger. They waited on the lawn for her and five minutes later she came out, a smirk on her face.

"What kept you?" the Weasley boy practically spat. She just smiled.

"Had to make a phone call," she said. The conversation was cut short at the sound of sirens and Severus grabbed Granger's shoulder for Side-Along Apparition. He left the Weasleys for Black to take care of.

* * *

"So where is this Church?" Black asked. He and the two Weasley children had returned moments after the other two and the redheaded boy was none too pleased with Granger. Severus couldn't even begin to explain as to why. She really hadn't done anything but drink a beer and get into some sort fight, again.

The two had gotten into a screaming match that had almost turned violent when Granger had thrown a chair at him. Black and Severus had quickly ended it there.

They were now all seated in the larger motel room's sitting area which consisted of one lumpy couch and two conjured chairs.

"It's actually just a few blocks south," Granger replied. "I've volunteered at their soup kitchen a few times. There's an orphanage and a teen shelter on site. You'd be amazed at how many runaways pass through there."

"So why do they allow people to abandon their kids there?" Ginny asked quietly. She seemed both horrified and depressed. It was like she'd only now seen how cruel people could be to their own family, which, in consideration of the Weasley family, was probably true.

"Because sometimes it's the best option for everyone," Granger said. The other girl's eyebrows creased in confusion. Granger sighed but explained. "Some people can't afford to keep their kids, others just don't want to see them. Some are druggies in a brief moment of sobriety who discover they have a conscious and leave the kid there. Some are just teenagers themselves who have no chance of raising a child to be anything other than half starved and messed up, if they survive."

Severus, who was also familiar with the place, continued. "They place a remarkable majority of their kids with good families. You go there to turn your life around. Or, at the very least, survive the winter."

"The Muggle world has a lot of problems," Black commented and Severus saw Granger bristle.

"It's not a Muggle thing," Granger snapped. "It's a human problem. You can't honestly tell me that nobody in the magical world has never abandoned a child."

"We're not here to discuss the faults of humanity," Severus snapped. "We need to figure out how we're going to track Potter through their system."

"What do you mean?" Black asked. "Can't we just trick them into handing over their files?"

"It's not that easy," Granger told him. "It's very likely Potter didn't use a real name even then. If he did, it was probably just a first name. Also, if he only passed through the shelter and not the orphanage, there would be no record of him."

"Then what do we do now?" Black asked looking a bit dejected.

"Right now the only thing we can do is find another lead," she replied. "I think we should push this thing with Jack and Jill."

"You said you didn't want to start a gang war," Severus pointed out.

"I'm not talking about war," she said. "If we do it right, nothing bad has to happen."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" he asked her. "They aren't going to hand over one of their own."

"Carefully," she said a small smile coming onto her features. "Very carefully."

"You have a plan?" Ginny asked.

"I have a plan."

* * *

Next Chapter: Ron, Ginny, and Sirius gain a little more insight into the Muggle World, Hermione, and Severus


	4. My Birth World

Severus was starting to regret taking this job. Despite his previous attitude he'd only resented it but never regretted it. He was regretting it now. They had decided to split up that morning and while only dealing with Black seemed the better option than dealing with all them at once, he was nearing the end of his patience. The ex-convict was thoroughly annoying.

The Muggle world was very much a new experience to Black and Severus was tired of the questions and remarks. Black was inquisitive about what he saw and then, in a typical pureblood fashion, turned his nose up at it. In all honesty, it wasn't a destructive prejudice like that of the Death Eaters, but it was a prejudice and Severus was growing tired of it.

It didn't help in the slightest when they'd suddenly ended up in Spinner's End, his old neighborhood and he found himself talking to an old friend, who'd recognized him immediately despite the years that had passed since he was last there.

"How you been man?" Foster asked, happily. Severus gave him a genuine smile which made Black give him a weird look. So he hadn't smiled in a while, but Foster was somebody who Severus had always found quite funny. The man was always happy and while this was normally cause for the Potion's Master to hate him on sight, Foster was different. Maybe it was the fact that Foster had once saved his life.

"I'm good Foster," he said, slapping the other man's hand and bumping his shoulder in typical manly, one armed hug. Foster slapped his shoulder as they broke apart. "How about you?" It was easy for Severus to slip back into his Muggle World ways, which included bad grammar.

"Been good, Sev," he replied. "Got myself a girl and some little bastards."

"Seriously?" Severus asked, not fully believing it. Foster, a father? He could just imagine how messed up those children would be.

"Yeah I know," the man said, smile still plastered on his face. "It's like really strange. What are you doing back? Your daddy said you were teaching at some fancy school in Scotland." Severus ignored Black's muffled spluttering as he tried to wrap his head around the fact that the greasy git did, in fact, have a 'daddy'.

"Just came to see him," Severus said, not entirely untruthfully. He was only in Spinner's End because he needed something from his parent's house. His mother had died some ten years earlier but his father was still there. He stayed in touch with the man through Owl post which was something the man was still getting used to. He was a Muggle who'd managed to do the impossible by marrying a pureblooded witch from a Dark family. But nobody ever said his family was normal.

"Yeah, you talk to your brother lately?" Foster asked and this time the Muggle did hear Black's spluttering. Both turned to give the strangely dressed man weird looks, "Is he okay?" Foster looked a little concerned at the sight of Black choking on his own spit.

"He's fine," Severus said slowly, his tone telling the Muggle that it was indeed not normal behavior. He turned away and continued talking to his old friend. "I haven't heard from Reckus in months," he said and Foster nodded.

"I thought as much," he replied. "Reck just up and left one day. Haven't seen him since, though your Dad seems to think that everything's okay. Said he left to find his own little adventure." Severus wasn't overly comforted by that. His father was inclined to believe that very little was wrong in their family no matter how much it wasn't.

"Yeah, well thanks for telling me," he said hoping to bring the conversation to a close. "Nice seeing you."

"Yeah you too," Foster replied as Severus forcibly led Black in the other direction.

"Could you maybe act any crazier?" he hissed when they were far enough away from Foster that the other man had no hope of hearing.

"What are you talking about?" Black asked indignantly.

"The stranger you act the more attention you get, which in this neighborhood is not a good thing," he snapped. "So, please act a little more Muggle. And stop spluttering. Is it really such a surprise that I have a father?" When Black didn't answer Severus shook his head in disgust and continued up the street. He heard Black hurrying to catch up.

"C'mon, Snape," he said. "You have to admit this is a little weird."

"How so?" Severus replied, knowing full well how awkward it was for Black to learn he was anything but a soulless monster, and ignoring the fact entirely. It would do Black some good to learn that even though they hated each other, Severus most certainly had friends and family. It would also do Black some good to let go of some his pureblood prejudice, no matter how much he insisted he didn't even have it.

"Well," Black floundered as he caught up. "It's just, you know, you never really had any friends at Hogwarts." Severus couldn't quite contain his laugh at that.

"Oh please Black," he said. "I had friends at Hogwarts. You were just too caught up in yourself to notice."

"I'm talking real friends," Black said hotly, trying to defend himself. "Not those friendships you have in Slytherin which are really nothing more than alliances."

"So am I," Severus responded. He stopped suddenly and turned to look at Black in the eye. "Don't assume things Black. Your track record at is awful enough without adding more bad marks to it." Black's eyebrows crinkled in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Did you or did you not assume that you knew exactly who Peter Pettigrew was?" Severus asked. Black looked liked he'd been slapped. Severus just smirked and turned towards the house they'd stopped in front of.

"That's really low, Snape," he said as Severus reached porch. The Potions Master turned to answer him.

"Yes it is," he acknowledged. "But it's low, cruel world. Deal with it." He smirked again and turned his back on the man. He opened the door to his childhood home and went inside. He left it open in case Black decided he didn't want to wait on the sidewalk like a stray mutt.

* * *

Hermione was getting increasingly annoyed. She almost wished Snape was there to glare the Weasley siblings into silence. Ron was trying to pick a fight with her and Ginny was just too naive. They'd gone to a park not too far from their motel and while it _was_ the middle of the day, there was still some serious activity going on. Not the toss a Frisbee, walk the dog, kids birthday party type of activity. No, it wasn't that kind of park.

There were kids sure, but everybody had long been disillusioned to the innocence that the people in the park hoped to portray. That is, everybody but the two redheads she had with her.

"Stop looking around," she said through her teeth to Ginny. The girl snapped her head back towards Hermione.

"Why?" she asked, in a volume Hermione considered too loud.

"Because you look like you're looking," she replied. "You're getting too much attention."

"So?" Ron asked, again in a too loud voice. Hermione didn't answer them until they reached a large grove of trees and were hidden from the view of the basketball courts. She stopped walking and turned to glare at the two redheads.

"How many times do I have to tell you that it's dangerous?" she snarled. "If not for you, for me. I have to come back to this city every summer. So, please, try not to paint an even bigger target on my back."

"What are we doing here?" Ron asked, purposefully ignoring her statements.

"We're here to get some help," she said. "Now stay here, and I swear to God if you move, I'll tell Snape. And he'll kill you." Both glared but didn't make a move to follow her as she went further into the trees.

* * *

"Dad!" Severus called out. The house was fairly dark so he wasn't sure where his father was.

"In here!" came the reply and Severus moved towards the kitchen. When he got there he was instantly enveloped in a hug by a rather large man who smelled his typical smell of wood chips and beer. "Sev! What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Dad," he said in a resigned tone that his father missed completely. "I came to get something." If he was expecting his father to be hurt or angry that the only reason he came was to get something rather than to see him, he'd have been a fool. Letters were enough for the man. They lived two separate lives in two separate worlds. It had long strained their relationship.

"Yeah, what for? Something of your Ma's?" he asked as he lit a cigarette.

"Yes," he replied. What else would he come for? The TV? "Where are Ma's things?"

"In the attic," his Dad replied. "Reck and I moved it all up after she died."

"Where is Reckus?" he asked, honestly curious about where his little brother had run off to. Tobias Snape just shrugged.

"His last postcard came from New York in America," he said pointing to the fridge where Severus saw several postcards taped up. "He's probably already moved on though."

"Why'd he leave?" Severus asked.

"Said he wanted a little adventure before he died," Tobias replied. "You know like you." Severus glanced at the floor fighting down the mixed feelings that always came when someone told him Reckus wanted to be just like him. The boy hadn't been born with Magic and while he was fourteen years younger, Reckus had taken to looking at Severus as his role model. It made his Death Eater years all the more shameful.

"Yeah," he said lowly. He glanced at the table and pretended he didn't notice the beer bottles and white powder. It wasn't his responsibility to fix his father. The man was somewhat out of it. Either approaching a high or drunkenness, or both. "Well, I'll just grab this thing and go." He turned and left his father at the table.

He found Black in the hallway staring at a picture of him holding an eight year old Reckus. "That's my brother and I," he said. Black jumped in surprise and whirled around.

"I didn't know you had a brother," he said.

"What you don't know about me could fill several libraries Black," Severus retorted. Black didn't seem quite able to rise up to the bait.

"What are we doing here Snape?" he asked.

"We're here to collect something," he said.

"What?" Black pressed.

"A book," he replied figuring that Black would find out anyways. "It has a ritual that will tell me exactly where the boy is." Black looked a little shocked and more than a little pissed.

"You've had this all along? Why are you just using it now?" he snarled.

"Because I've only just been placed in charge of this damnable search," Severus snapped.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Black threw back viciously, the idea that Severus had withheld a method of finding his Godson bringing up a rage only rarely seen. It was usually reserved for only Death Eaters and Snape on a bad day.

"My mother is a Dark Witch you idiot," he said, and Black actually took a step back as Severus's magic pushed against him. Hard. "I am a Dark Wizard. Do you really think Dumbledore is going to allow a Dark ritual to take place in his school?"

"Then why not do it outside of Hogwarts?" Black asked, regaining his footing. "He couldn't do anything to you after you'd done it and you know he wouldn't allow the Ministry to prosecute you over it." Severus sneered at that. The man really was an idiot.

"Please, Black," he said in a mocking tone. "You really think I'm going to take the time to do that? For a Potter?" Black shook his head in disbelief.

"Then why bother now you snake bastard?"

"Because now there's something in it for me," he replied silkily.

"Like what?"

"Turns out Granger has some rather…useful information." The girl had spent a total of three hours convincing him of this plan. It wasn't until she agreed to hand over his old Potion's book that he agreed to go along. There were some rather incriminating things hidden in that book and it was of little surprise that the girl knew exactly how to find it all, what it all meant, and that he was the Half-Blood Prince. If the Ministry ever got their hands on the book not even Albus Dumbledore could get him out of Azkaban.

He'd invented several spells and potions that he'd hidden within those pages magically that were a Dark Lord level in both sadistic and dark nature. He needed that book back and hidden. The information was much too useful to destroy outright. He'd even mentally applauded Granger for the rather Slytherin move.

"What information?" Black asked.

"None of your business," he sneered. "Wait here." He brushed by Black and up to the second floor where the entrance to the attic was to get _Darkness Abounds: The Ultimate Collection of Rituals_.

* * *

Hermione moved through the trees until she came to a clearing littered with cigarette buds, empty cans, and scorch marks where the ground had briefly caught fire. They were all actually quite lucky that the entire grove hadn't been burned down.

The Gryffindor cursed her luck when she saw it completely empty. She'd been hoping to find another runaway. It may not have been her brightest idea to put pressure on Jack and Jill but with Snape and possibly Glitter backing her up she felt somewhat confident. Besides, if the plan worked like it was supposed to she wouldn't be in danger. If one little step backfired she'd be exiled to Magicdom. It would be easy to convince Dumbledore to let her stay at the Burrow with the Weasleys, no matter how much she really didn't want to. Or even with Dean in Manchester.

Sure she'd lose the Half-Blood Prince's book and all its secrets to Snape, or at least she'd lose the original. You'd think the Slytherin Head of House would have caught that loophole but it wasn't like she was going to point it out.

Sighing she turned and went back to the two purebloods waiting for her. She found them in the exact same place, thankfully.

"C'mon," she said as she walked straight past them and out of the trees.

"Where are we going now?" Ginny whined out and Hermione winced at the tone.

"I want to show you something," the other girl replied mysteriously and with a smirk. "Don't worry, it's nothing bad." She didn't see the two siblings share a look of doubt although she would bet money that it had happened.

* * *

"This is amazing," Ginny breathed out quietly. Hermione gave her a genuine smile. She'd thought the other girl would like it. She seemed like the type to; even Ron had lost his usual hostility to gaze around in fascination.

Hermione had led them to a much different park a fifteen minute train ride away. There was always a lot of activity there, this much more of a much more innocent kind than the last. There were caricature artists, picnickers, dog walkers, playing children, family reunions, food stands, and, her favorite, the street musicians.

There was one group not too far away playing "After the Rain Has Fallen", by Sting. People were dancing to it and laughing. It looked like a lot of fun. The three Gryffindors were seated on the edge of a large fountain, watching it all.

"This is my favorite place in London," Hermione confessed. "I go here to get away from the problems. From reality."

"Why did you show us this?" Ginny asked. Hermione gave a deep sigh.

"Because I think you need to see it," she said. "There's more to the world than Hogwarts, Dumbledore, and Voldemort." She ignored the shivers with a practiced ease. She was one of the few who would say the name. She thought it ridiculous not to. Dumbledore had heard her say it once during a verbal spat with some seventh year Slytherins. He'd gotten a strange look his eye. Hermione would almost call it a revered respect.

"We thought the Muggle World was mostly like this," Ron said suddenly. Hermione was somewhat shocked to hear him speak, and so politely too. She knew he was mad at her. "Dad always tells us about how good it is and how amazing the people and customs are. They're a little different without the Magic but he still thinks there's something to be learned from them." Hermione was fully shocked now. She hadn't thought Mr. Weasley's Muggle policy went beyond that of some strange hobby.

"In a way he's right," she said. "Both worlds could learn a lot from each other. And the culture here is amazing in its own right, same as the Wizarding one."

"If it's so amazing then why is it that all we've seen are such bad things and people?" Ron asked. He didn't sound challenging, just curious. Frankly, it was throwing Hermione off balance. She had expected to have another head butting with him over this conversation, but he seemed to be displaying a maturity she hadn't known he possessed.

"There's good and bad in every world," she replied. "You've seen more of the bad because that's where we've been looking. Potter's in a place that isn't easy to escape. They have their own sense of pride, even their own sense of right and wrong."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked, curious.

"Well, the runaways are a pretty tight knit with their own kind of community. At the moment Jack and Jill are at the top, but Potter seems to be pretty high up there as well. The only comparison in the Wizarding World that I can think of is the Death Eaters." The girl looked horrified at that. Hermione continued quickly, hoping she hadn't turned them off anymore than they already were.

"They're a fighting unit with a sense of community, and their own rules within another system. That's how the runaways work, same as every other gang in town," she explained. They didn't seem to fully get it. "This would be a lot easier to explain if you were a Muggleborn." Ginny shifted a bit and then asked another question.

"You told Professor Snape that you didn't want to start a gang war. What did you mean?" Hermione gave another sigh before taking pity and explaining as best she could.

"Jack and Jill don't want us anywhere near Potter," she said. "They're hiding something about him and pushing them is a very dangerous thing to do. The only way I really could start something would be to align with another gang and use them as the battering ram. That would only push the streets into a war. Jack and Jill have been encroaching on territory for quite some time according to Glitter. Everybody's mad at them and all it would take would be a small push."

"But now you don't seem to care," Ginny probed.

"To an extent," Hermione agreed. "The plan is to use the gangs I can to get what I want without a full scale bloodbath. Just enough pressure to make Jack and Jill back off a bit but not enough to spark a war."

"This is a lot more complicated than I thought it would be," Ron grumbled.

"Just because they're Muggles doesn't mean they're stupid simpletons," Hermione said. "There's more to the Muggles than meets the eye."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked thoroughly confused.

"There's magic here too," Hermione said with a wide smile. "You just have to look a little harder."

"You're talking about the Muggleborns," Ginny stated.

"No," Hermione answered, shaking her head. "I'm not."

"Then what are you talking about?" Ron asked getting snappish again.

"I'm talking about the people here," she said. "And the things you'll never know about them because you'll never take the time to look. Even your father doesn't really care. Sure he collects sparkplugs and screwdrivers and thinks he knows what he's talking about, but in the end, the Wizarding World is nothing more than a society of hiding people with their heads up their arses."

The two redheads had no response for that. Hermione ignored the strange looking siblings in favor of watching the street band and dancing people. It was magical.


	5. Catalina

I am so sorry. No excuses, the story simply fell through the cracks in my busy life. Thanks to anyone who might still be reading. Y'all are a peach. ;) Hopefully, the next update won't be so long in the making.

And a special thanks to To die upon a kiss. Your reviews were absolutely amazing.

00000

"Have you completely lost your mind?"

"No, G, I haven't," Hermione said. "Look, you know as well as I do that Jack and Jill are two complete psychos. If they aren't put down now then they never will be." The girl glanced at Snape who was sitting in a conjured armchair, intently listening to her side of the phone conversation.

"That's not what I'm disagreeing with," Glitter said. "I'm disagreeing with the insane part. Jack and Jill are too powerful right now. There's no weak spot."

"There is a weak spot," Hermione argued. She had to convince Glitter that this would work. He was the key to this entire plan. The ritual that Snape had in his little book was only a last resort. The spell was Dark and if the Ministry cottoned on to it, it would be a one way ticket to Azkaban. The man wasn't willing to risk it until absolutely necessary and Hermione didn't dare ask him to either.

"If you have some sort of magic trick up your sleeve that you're not telling me about, now would be the time to let me in on it," Glitter snapped and Hermione nearly smirked at the irony. Her friend didn't know about her being a Witch and she had never had any desire to tell him. There was no telling how he would react to such thing. Regardless of his personal opinion, he'd probably use it to his advantage. If the kid had been a Wizard, he'd have been a Slytherin no questions asked.

"Harry Potter," she replied and the sudden dead silence on the other end of the line told her that she'd hit gold. She couldn't even hear the other teen breathing. Suspicions confirmed, Hermione pressed on. "Do you know him?"

"What makes you think I know him?" he asked but the tone of his voice told her he was preparing to lie through his teeth. She belatedly realized that she probably should have had this conversation face to face, but it was too late now.

"Because I know you Glitter," she said, finally losing her battle to not smirk. "This is your London and with Jack and Jill pissing on everything and everyone, I know you and your boys hold no love for them. " Glitter himself belonged to a group of kids who weren't technically a gang but were well on their way to becoming one. They were smart, tough, and not afraid to stand up to people. Jack and Jill saw them as a threat and had been placing pressure on them for months. Glitter had lost several friends to Jack and Jill's machinations.

"That's not the point," he said. "Even with Potter we don't stand a chance."

"What do you mean 'even with Potter'?" Hermione asked, quickly latching on to Glitter's slip of the tongue. She heard him inhale sharply.

"We call him Emerald," he finally told her. "He was one of Jill's favorite guys."

"Was?"

"Rumor has it that he fell for another girl," he said. "Some girl that used to volunteer at the Soup Kitchen he would always go to. Supposedly she's the daughter of some business mogul. Super wealthy."

"Which left Jill super jealous," Hermione finished, the pieces clicking together rapidly inside her head. No wonder they'd come after her so hard. Any friend of Potter's would be an automatic enemy to them. Potter had seemingly betrayed Jill in the worst way possible. The Gryffindor knew that Jill and her brother were both egomaniacs and more than a little unstable.

"Exactly," he replied. "Jill burned him. Bad. And he's been on the run ever since. I even heard the girl had to quit the kitchen."

"Who is this girl?" Hermione asked. It wasn't unconceivable to think that Potter would go hide out with her. If she really was the daughter of a very wealthy man she would probably live in a home with a good security system, if not a bodyguard. Also, if Potter really cared about her more than his gang, he would want to know she was okay. They were most likely together. She just had to find the girl.

"Catalina something or other," Glitter said. "Look 'Moine, I promised the kid I wouldn't tell anyone about that. The only reason I'm telling you is because it's you."

"Glitter, the only thing I want to do is help the kid out," she said, trying to alleviate whatever bad feelings he was getting in his stomach. "We all want the same thing."

"And what is that?"

"Jack and Jill taken down."

"I can't convince you to stop this can I?" he asked, sounding half annoyed, half amused.

"No," she replied solidly. "Where does she live?"

"The Matador Building," he said. "You know, the one where all the rich people stay?"

"Got it," she said. "Thanks."

"Look Hermione," he hedged and the girl held her breath. "If you can get Emerald to agree to taking down Jack and Jill, I'll be able to rally up some people who'd be willing to help take them down."

"Why would Potter be the golden ticket?"

"Because he knew them better than anyone," he said. "Potter's the only one with the knowledge to hit them where it hurts most. Besides, if we can get one of Jack and Jill's own to flip on them we'll have the best rallying point we could."

"I'll do my best," she replied. "But I can't make any promises."

"I don't expect you too," he said. "Bye."

"Bye." She took a moment to process everything she'd just been told after she hung up the phone. Snape stayed quiet just long enough to let her gather her thoughts.

"Well?" he inquired. "Do you have a location?"

"I have his girlfriend," she told him. "With any luck, he'll be there."

00000

Hermione went alone, leaving Snape to deal with the other three. They hadn't been present when she'd made the phone call. She had purposefully done that to avoid questions and sneers and everything in between. She'd set them up in the other room with breakfast and the 'moving picture box'. Once they were sufficiently distracted it was easy enough to slip out.

The Matador Building was beautiful. It was modern, sleek, and so far out of any working man's price range that its mere presence sparked both envy and daydreams. Hermione felt no love for the building. After spending her last few years Hogwarts, modern conveniences were simply that. Modern conveniences. If there weren't moving portraits or ghosts floating around, she wasn't interested. Despite her general wariness for all things pureblood, she did, in fact, consider Hogwarts a second home. At least, on a good day.

Sneaking up to the right floor was easy enough. She simply 'borrowed' a workman's jumpsuit from the laundry and headed up on the service elevator. Nobody stopped to comment on her youth or by the fact that suit was four times too big for her. But that was London. Even in a fancy place like this, people weren't going to bother themselves with someone else's business. Especially when they looked like the help.

Hermione found the correct apartment quickly and rang the bell. It didn't take long before a girl around her own age opened up. She could instantly see why Potter had fallen for her. Long black hair that fell down her back in waves, shining hazel eyes, olive skin, and a petite form. She was dressed casually but everything was name brand. Her designer jumper cost more than Hermione's entire wardrobe.

"Can I help you?" she asked, clearly confused as to why a teenager like herself was dressed as a one of the buildings onsite maintenance workers.

"Hi," Hermione replied pleasantly. "I'm looking for Harry Potter." The other instantly became defensive. Hermione knew she was getting ready to lie. Catalina may be dating a boy from the streets but she was no street girl. She was just daddy's little rich girl. And while Hermione wasn't ready to judge her on that alone, she knew that it was an entirely fair assumption to make that Catalina was incapable of lying or living rough.

"I don't know who that is," she said. And there it was. While a pretty girl, Catalina was incapable of lying.

"You might know him better as Emerald," Hermione replied. "Ex-gang member, you met him at a soup kitchen."

"Who are you?" Catalina snapped. Hermione was actually surprised that the other girl hadn't simply slammed the door in her face.

"I'm his friend," the witch replied hoping that her own face wasn't nearly as expressive as Catalina's. She didn't expect it to be but she was a Gryffindor. Lying wasn't her forte. "I'm here to help him." The other girl eyed the witch precariously and Hermione could practically see the inner wheels turning in her head. She looked over shoulder nervously and then back at Hermione before she finally stepped aside.

"Come in," Catalina said Hermione immediately went in, glad that she wouldn't be having this conversation in the hallway. Hermione followed the Muggle girl into the large, opulent flat. It was decorated in an art deco sort of style and while pretty it wasn't the most functional of living spaces. It made Hermione uncomfortable. She was afraid to touch anything. After all, if she broke it, she wouldn't be able to replace it.

Catalina turned and faced her guest, crossing her tanned arms over her chest.

"Harry isn't here," she said.

"I didn't really expect him to be," Hermione said truthfully.

"Then what do you want?"

"I just want to help him," Hermione repeated. "You know about Jack and Jill?" Catalina nodded. "I want to stop them. I _need_ to stop them."

"Why?" Catalina asked. "What did they ever do to you?"

"Plenty," Hermione responded. "Jack and Jill burned a lot of bridges on their rise to power. They hurt a lot of people and did a lot of bad things."

"They did something...to you."

"A long time ago," Hermione acquiesced. "Will you help me find Harry?"

"Harry has...many people he calls on," Catalina told her. "When he's in trouble, that is."

"Who Catalina?" Hermione pressed. "Who does he go to?" Catalina hedged on answering her. She shifted uncomfortably and seemed to draw in on herself.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Catalina asked. "After all, I don't really know who you are. I don't even know your name."

"My name is Hermione," she said.

"Well great," Catalina responded. "Now what exactly do you want?"

Hermione smiled. That was just the opening she needed. And as she spoke and the Muggle beauty listened, Hermione could tell that Catalina wasn't someone who scared easily. She might even be someone who could help. All Hermione had to do was convince her to help them which was something she was fairly certain she could do.

00000

Being left alone with Black was hard enough. Being left alone with Black and the two Weasleys was downright cruel. He vowed to kill Granger the second she returned from her harebrained little errand. There was no doubt in Snape's mind that this plan would most likely fail and fail with a vengeance. The girl may not have realized the major hole in their plan but he certainly had.

Runaways were simply runaways. They weren't street politicians, they weren't that powerful. They were barely even useful. So what exactly had turned Jack and Jill into such tyrants? Where had they found the means to take over what they had? Snape believed that Granger and her little ragtag team of untouchables were about to poke a sleeping dragon with a bullet. He was almost positive that Jack and Jill-the unstable beings that they were-were incapable of doing this on their own. They worked for someone and Snape wasn't looking forward to finding out who that might be.

And luckily for them all, Potter was trapped in the middle of this war. He had seen or done something that had caused the gang of violent teens to turn against him and force him underground. Snape doubted it had happened because Jill been jealous like Granger had said. But he wasn't about to step into the middle of it all without a very good reason. He was there to get Potter to Hogwarts. If he had to rub elbows with gang members and Creepers he would. It wasn't like he hadn't done it all once before.

He looked over to Black and rolled his eyes. The man was seated at the other end of the couch, his head cocked to the side, and looking like a confused puppy. There was a daytime soap opera on and Snape could easily see that Black was both riveted by it and horribly confused. The Potions Master didn't have the heart or the energy to tell him that it was TV trash.

Finally, Granger walked through the door and this time she wasn't alone. The girl was pretty all things considered. She was Granger's height and while she had clearly tried to dress down in jeans, a lime green jumper, and sneakers, all her clothes were designer and Snape could easily tell that she was from money. She carried herself like a princess and Snape was actually impressed. She did what most Purebloods tried to do almost effortlessly. However, she did look highly uncomfortable standing in the motel. She wasn't used to this kind of living.

"Who is this?" he asked Granger. Black looked just as curious and he saw the two Weasleys looking just as curious from their spot near the beds.

"This is Catalina," Granger said. "Harry's girlfriend."

"Hi," the new girl said quietly, sounding somewhat shy.

"Severus," he said as he stood up to greet her. They shook hands and he could feel that she had a fairly powerful handshake for someone so small. A confident girl, then. "That's Sirius, Ron, and Ginny." He pointed to each person in turn leaving out last names. They wouldn't mean anything to her and the less of themselves they left behind, the better.

"It's nice to meet you," she greeted. Still looking uncomfortable but willing to push past it, she took a seat on the edge of the couch that he just vacated. It gave Snape the opportunity to pull Granger aside as Black immediately began asking the Muggle questions. Mostly about who she was but he suspected that it would quickly lead to questions about Potter.

"How did you get her here?" he asked quietly.

"She doesn't like Jack and Jill either," Granger replied and Snape rolled his eyes.

"Try to remember what we are really here for," he told her. "How is bringing a Muggle into all of this going to help us get Potter to Hogwarts?"

"She was already in all of this," Granger countered. "There's no avoiding that Professor. She can help us; with all of it. Potter trusts her, probably even loves her. If she vouches for us, he'll be much more likely to work with us."

He regarded her for a moment and then decided he might as well let her run with this plan for now. It wasn't as if he had a better way to go about all of this. Potter was undeniably missing, possibly underground. There were only so many options they had at this point. Every day they dallied was another day that the Dark Lord could become aware of the boy's presence in London.

"Fine," he acquiesced. "But _how_ did you get her here?" He knew on instinct that anyone Potter trusted would be leery of strangers claiming to be friends. The kid had too many enemies.

"I told her the truth," Granger said and Snape's eyes nearly bugged at that. "No! Not about Magic, about what was happening in the streets. I told her the truth about me, so she could trust me."

"What truth about you?" he asked, thoroughly curious. What _was_ the bookworm talking about now?

"About what Jack and Jill did to me," she said. "I told her why I want them dead."

With that, the girl broke away from the conversation and rejoined Catalina. Probably to rescue her from Black's incessant questions and leading conversation points. Snape just stared after the Muggleborn. What had happened to her?

He suddenly had a horrible feeling that this story went much deeper than a pissing contest between a bunch of teenagers. This was a deadly game and he was caught in the middle of it without knowing the rules, the players, or the purpose.

Snape dearly hoped that this wasn't what would be the end of him.


End file.
